Numbers 21:23-33

23 But King Sihon would not let the Israelites pass through his country. He gathered his whole army together, and they marched out to meet Israel in the desert. At Jahaz they fought the Israelites.

24 Israel killed the king and captured his land from the Arnon River to the Jabbok River. They took the land as far as the Ammonite border, which was strongly defended.

25 Israel captured all the Amorite cities and lived in them, taking Heshbon and all the towns around it.

26 Heshbon was the city where Sihon, the Amorite king, lived. In the past he had fought with the king of Moab and had taken all the land as far as the Arnon.

27 That is why the poets say: "Come to Heshbon and rebuild it; rebuild Sihon's city.

28 A fire began in Heshbon; flames came from Sihon's city. It destroyed Ar in Moab, and it burned the Arnon highlands.

29 How terrible for you, Moab! The people of Chemosh are ruined. His sons ran away and his daughters were captured by Sihon, king of the Amorites.

30 But we defeated those Amorites. Dibon, and we destroyed them as far as Nophah, near Medeba."

31 So Israel lived in the land of the Amorites.

32 After Moses sent spies to the town of Jazer, they captured the towns around it, forcing out the Amorites who lived there.

33 Then the Israelites went up the road toward Bashan. Og king of Bashan and his whole army marched out to meet the Israelites, and they fought at Edrei.

Numbers 21:23-33 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO NUMBERS 21

This chapter gives an account of the defeat of King Arad, the Canaanite, Nu 21:1-3 of the murmurings of the children of Israel, because of difficulties in travelling round, the land of Edom, for which they were punished with fiery serpents, Nu 21:4-6 and how that upon their repentance a brazen serpent was ordered to be made, and to be erected on a pole, that whoever looked to it might live, Nu 21:7-9 and of the several journeys and stations of the children of Israel, until they came to the land of the Amorites, Nu 21:10-20, when they sent a message to Sihon their king, to desire him to grant them a passage through his country; but he refusing, they fought with him, smote him, and possessed his land, concerning which many proverbial sayings were used, Nu 21:21-32 and the chapter is concluded with the defeat of Og, king of Bashan, Nu 21:33-35.